To the Moon and Back
by Eosophobia-3
Summary: All five brothers get to work on rebuilding Shadow Alpha One on the moon, staying with John on Thunderbird 5 for the duration of the trip. Not everything goes to plan; rebuilding is hard work and accidents happen, Gordon is space-sick and John isn't too happy with everyone staying in his personal space!
1. Flight

**Chapter One: Flight**

"Alan."

"Alan."

"ALAN WAKE UP WILL YOU!"

The hammering that the youngest Tracy brother had thought was happening in his dream was currently almost knocking his bedroom door down and he raised his head slowly as he realised he'd actually been sleeping rather than battling a giant cookie demon that tasted of feet. His habit of sleeping on the floor was one he had never managed to shake and once again he found himself lying on the rough brown mat next to his bed, rather than on the soft mattress. Another booming bang on his door brought him to his feet and he rubbed his tired blue eyes as he opened it slowly, peeking through the gap like a nosey neighbour. Virgil stood on the other side with his fist raised to knock again if needs be. He sighed and poked a long finger into the centre of Alan's forehead.

"Hurry it up, we're going in a minute."

For a brief, confused moment, Alan had no idea what Virgil was talking about and it was only when he noticed that his older brother was wearing the 'space' version of his suit that he remembered what they'd planned for the week. All five brothers were going to the moon to help Captain Taylor with rebuilding the Shadow Alpha One moon base. John had reluctantly agreed to let them stay on Thunderbird 5 while they worked, although the Captain had insisted on using his own craft for the duration of the rebuild. If everything went smoothly they could use it as a sort of vacation from International Rescue and maybe even have a little fun, if Scott loosened his 'leader tie' log enough to let himself breathe.

"Well, get your suit on, Allie."

Alan snapped out of his reverie and quickly stepped into the hall in his red planets pyjamas. Virgil shoved a bagel into his mouth and disappeared down the corridor mumbling through a mouthful of crumbs. In Gordon's room Grandma Tracy was trying to help Gordon close his suitcase; it seemed to be overflowing with shirts of varying degrees of vulgarity and Alan was sure he even spotted a pair of swimming trunks in there but the squid refused to remove anything, insisting he _needed_ that amount of clothes and there _might_ be a swimming pool up there somewhere. The aquanaut had only been into the outer atmosphere a handful of times and each time he'd hated it. The first time he'd gone he was actually looking forward to it and thought that maybe the zero gravity would be like swimming. It was not. He'd spent the entire trip in the bathroom on Thunderbird 5 losing any food he managed to consume and wishing he was back on solid ground. Ever since then, Gordon had tried to avoid space as much as possible, always coming up with one excuse or another but this time Scott insisted that the mission required all five brothers and would count as a 'bonding exercise'. Why exactly they needed more bonding was beyond Gordon's comprehension but he reluctantly agreed to tag along.

Scott was sitting in the lounge, impatiently tapping his fingers on his lap, when Alan wandered in, still in his pyjamas and looking like he hadn't fully woken up yet. They'd gotten back from a routine rescue mission pretty late yesterday and Scott knew the youngster would be tired but he couldn't be _too_ lenient on him when it came to punctuality.

"Alan, hurry up and get dressed will you!"

The blonde looked worried, his teeth gnawing on his bottom lip – a sure sign that he was thinking of a good way to break some bad news to his big brother. Another habit he hadn't been able to shift, despite his best efforts. Scott rolled his eyes at the obvious shadiness and looped his fingers behind his head as he spoke in a monotone.

"What is it?"

Rabbit in the headlight, Alan's eyes widened in an attempt to feign ignorance.

"What's what?"

"Oh for- What do you want to tell me? I can tell something's up."

"Well…" Alan closed his eyes tightly and then opened his left one just a crack, trying to lessen the blow, "I kinda forgot to pack a suitcase and I don't even have my suit on yet so we're going to be like, _really_ late and I'm really sorry I was just so tired last night and-"

Scott's raised hand silenced his youngest sibling and he cocked his head towards the kitchen where Virgil was raiding the cupboards trying to find some cereal.

"Hey, big guy!"

Virgil turned, half a bagel still lodged between his teeth, "I assume you're talking to me?"

"You packed Al's suitcase right?"

A thumbs-up assured Alan that Virgil had in fact packed his case for him and he relaxed, thankful for his older brothers once again. He quickly made his way back to his room and whipped on his suit before returning to the hangar below the island where his brothers were waiting for him like they were going on the world's weirdest family vacation. Their suitcases looked extremely odd next to their suited selves and huge Thunderbirds.

They'd decided to use the space elevator to get to Thunderbird 5 as it was the quickest way and it meant that Alan wouldn't have to leave his precious craft docked in space for a whole week. He was sure the atmosphere, or lack thereof, up there did something _weird_ with the paintwork. John had already sent the elevator down and so Virgil and Alan stepped inside first; they were going two at a time as it wasn't particularly advisable to fill it with too many people on account that it only had one seat. The astronaut had even suggested they board _one_ at a time to which Scott had replied 'We're not spending ages just _getting_ there!' Once inside, Virgil pushed the button and sat back as they ascended into the sky, through the clouds and finally into the black abyss of space.

John was ready and waiting at the hatch as the elevator docked with Thunderbird 5; he reminded himself to at least _try_ to look happy about his brothers invading his private space for the week but his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. When Scott had told him about rebuilding the moon base, John had been all for it, however when his older brother said that the family would be staying on his 'bird, the astronaut hadn't been so enthusiastic. It wasn't that he _hated_ being with his brothers, sure he wasn't exactly a people person and preferred to be alone rather than with a lot of people, but he liked it in moderation and enjoyed the fact that he could retreat to TB5 whenever he needed to. Now his brothers were going to be staying in his private living area for an entire week and there was nowhere he could retire to if he felt the need to be alone. He didn't have time to dwell on the matter as the light clicked on to let him know the air was regulated and he could open the hatch.

A hiss filled the corridor as the metal plates separated, opening the hatch for Virgil and Alan to board and John pushed a button on the wall to send the elevator back down to Tracy Island to collect Scott and Gordon. Alan glided through to John with ease, already used to the zero gravity as he'd spent so much time floating around on Thunderbird 3 whenever he had the chance. He floated to the redhead's side and smiled his goofy grin.

"What up, bro."

He attempted some sort of 'thug' pose but couldn't quite master it so settled with a slow motion high five with John instead. John left him hanging as he moved forward, cautious for Virgil's arrival. The middle brother had always been a little _unsteady_ in space, what with his larger bulk and general broadness, and had only been on Thunderbird 5 twice before. Once to simply have a look at the new 'bird and the second time to surprise John on his twenty-first birthday. And surprise it was, they'd almost given John a heart attack when he woke up to find Virgil and Scott staring down at him. John smiled at the memory and winced as he heard something clatter on the other side of the hatch. Virgil finally emerged with two huge suitcases, somehow Alan had managed to dodge carrying his own bag and so his big brother was left to be the bellhop. He swore under his breath as the momentum of his collision with the wall sent him flying backwards through the hatch towards his brothers but thankfully John was there to catch him before he continued down the corridor like an abandoned balloon.

"Thanks," Virgil flailed a little as he tried to centre himself, "Where should I put these?" He gestured to the cases and followed John down the corridor and through another hatch into one of the sleeping areas.

The room was dominated by an enormous viewing window that was currently filled with the view of East Asia as the Earth spun lazily below and some lights clicked on as the three brothers moved inside. It was only a small room with enough space for the two beds and an inbuilt wardrobe but it felt huge because of the view. Alan swiftly launched himself towards the bed closest to the window, silently claiming it as his own, whilst Virgil flapped his arms like a baby bird learning to fly.

"This room also has another feature, thanks to EOS."

John moved towards a panel on the wall and Virgil noted how at ease his brother was in space, so different to his clumsiness on Earth, he seemed elegant up here. A soft _whoosh_ filled the room as John pressed his finger to the wall and suddenly the three Tracys and their belongings were on the floor. As he wasn't prepared for the sudden return of gravity, Virgil dropped like a brick, landing on his behind on the cold metallic tiles, whereas John seemed to drift downwards like a feather. Alan was already on the bed and so simply sank into the covers a little more. With a triumphant glint in his eyes, John smiled.

"Artificial gravity. EOS and I thought it might be easier for you landlubbers to sleep if there was gravity holding you down."

Alan shrugged, "I'm fine either way."

Virgil got to his feet, rubbing his backside and trying to avoid the mischievous smiles of his brothers, "Yeah, thanks."

[I'm glad you like it, Virgil]

The voice that sounded like chimes in his ears made Virgil's hairs stand on end and he turned slowly to look into the camera above him that seemed to be looking at him through its cyclops-like metal eye. He squinted up at it and raised a quizzical eyebrow towards John.

"Virgil meet EOS, my co-pilot."

"This the one that tried to kill you?"

John cleared his throat awkwardly and nodded, "Technically yes. But she's learned the error of her ways."

"Right," Virgil shrugged up at the camera and smiled, he wasn't one to hold grudges, "Charmed."

With a flick of his finger, John turned off the gravity and his brothers began to float once more.

"Sorry I can't keep the artificial gravity on all the time, it drains too much power. I'll turn it back on tonight." The redhead poked a thumb over his shoulder, "You two can hang out in the living area, I'll show Gordon and Scott to their room when they get here."

And with that, John disappeared through the hatch, leaving the others floating in what would be their bedroom for the week. Scott had insisted that Gordon and Alan be separated, at least when sleeping, as God knows what they would get up to if the terrible twins were left alone together at night in a spaceship. Too many tempting buttons to press and comms to mess around with. Sometimes he wondered if they were still actually toddlers.

With only a little difficulty, Virgil and Alan moved towards the main living area; it was a large space with a huge TV on one wall and a kitchenette along the opposite wall. The television didn't look like it had been used much, Alan couldn't even find the remote, and they guessed John hadn't spent much time actually 'living' up here. He seemed to spend almost all of his time either talking to his brothers down on Tracy Island or keeping an eye on any emergencies throughout the globe. John was never one to indulge in frivolous activities, always studying or learning new skills, and the only sign of him actually doing anything personal on Thunderbird 5 was the row of lockers filled with old books on the universe and various kinds of stars.

About twenty minutes later, Scott and Gordon boarded and John showed them to their room, which was much the same as the others'. The aquanaut looked visibly relieved when John showed him the artificial gravity button but the expression of relief soon faded when he was told it was only for during the night. Gordon could already feel waves of sickness lapping at his stomach as he and Scott joined the others in the living area but he was determined not to let it spoil his time, at least for the time being.

Scott gathered the five of them around a tall table in the centre of the room that showed a hologram depicting the area of the moon where the moon base had been previously and began to speak as he pointed at various parts of the glowing display.

"So tomorrow we'll start by clearing away the debris."

"And how exactly are we going to do that?" Virgil had his thick arms crossed across his chest but he had to keep readjusting himself as he started to float away from the hologram.

"There're some pods and things in storage units near the base," Scott pointed a finger towards some smaller buildings on the hologram, "We'll use these to manoeuvre the rubble and debris so we can get started on rebuilding it. Captain Taylor's craft has the equipment to build the structure etcetera so we'll meet up with him and he'll brief us on what's to do, okay?"

"F.A.B," Alan smiled and gave a thumbs-up and then turned to John who seemed to have lost interest in the conversation already, "Got anything to eat? I didn't have any breakfast."

"I have bagels?"

Like a begging dog, Alan's tail seemed to wag as he followed his space brother to the small kitchenette before receiving a warm bagel from a hole in the counter. Virgil found the remote for the TV and turned it on without really watching anything. There was a small sofa in the corner of the room, bolted to the floor, and he used the straps attached to it to click himself into place and stop himself from floating around anymore. It was relaxing, not constantly needing to watch where he was drifting off to. Scott joined him and he too clicked the straps into place so that he could stay in one place long enough to catch his breath. Although more used to the zero G than his brother, the eldest wasn't too fond of the uncontrollable sensation of gliding around like a plastic bag in the wind. He turned to look at Gordon, who was the only brother still left next to the hologram; he was clinging to the table in an attempt to keep still but his legs kept unconsciously kicking like they did in the water when he needed to stay afloat, causing him to start to float around again. The colour seemed to be vacating his face and the longer Scott watched, the longer the squid looked like he needed rescuing.

"If you're going to puke, go to the bathroom."

The blonde shook his head, lips pressed into a thin line, "I'm not."

That was when Alan bumped into Gordon and thrust a freshly heated bagel into his face.


	2. A Different View

**Chapter Two: A Different View**

The moment Alan shoved the warm bagel into his brother's face was the moment Gordon felt his breakfast rising into his throat. He tumbled backwards, away from the offending bread, and clasped his hand to his mouth. Like a child trapped in his pushchair, Scott tried to dive to Gordon's side but the straps on the sofa held him down and he pinged back onto it with a clatter. Luckily, John had already assessed the situation and quickly grabbed Gordon's hand and yanked him out of the living area, through a hatch and into the gravity ring. The large rotating ring with the reinforced glass was the only part of Thunderbird 5 that had constant artificial gravity; it was necessary for when John needed to get to another part of the craft quickly or view a certain part of the Earth through the infinite window and right then Gordon couldn't be more thankful for it.

The aquanaut closed his eyes and slunk down the wall until he was sitting with his head between his legs. He'd thought for sure that he was going to throw up and by the look of worry on John's face, he realised he must still look that way. In an attempt to reassure his brother that he _wasn't_ in fact going to lose his breakfast, he got back on his feet and placed a thankful hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"Thanks. Man, I don't know how you cope with the zero-g 24/7."

John shrugged, "I'm used to it."

A sly grin spread across Gordon's face, looking much more like his usual self, "That explains why you're such a klutz back on Earth."

"I am _not_ a klutz!" He swiped at Gordon's head but he managed to duck just in time, "Better?"

A thumbs-up assured John that his little brother wasn't going to blow chunks on his beloved Thunderbird and so he left Gordon to wander around in the gravity ring, making sure to tell him not to touch anything or get fingerprints on the glass.

John re-joined his brothers in the living area where Alan was shoving a third bagel down his throat, and was greeted with a worried looking eldest brother who was still somehow trapped in the straps of the sofa. The astronaut helped set him free and then excused himself; he still had to monitor the distress calls on Earth and let Kayo and the GDF know which were the most urgent. Just because his brothers were taking a short break didn't mean that he could be lenient too.

It had only been a couple of hours since the brothers had boarded TB5 but already they were showing signs of boredom. There really wasn't much to do on board the communications hub, especially since John had seemingly exiled any and all forms of fun – he called them 'distractions' but Alan knew better – even the games system that Scott had sent up as a birthday present had been dismantled and used for an experimental coffee maker. Which, Virgil noted, didn't even make coffee.

"EURGH!" Alan groaned as he floated on his back behind his brothers who had decided that holding onto the table was more comfortable than trying to sit on the sofa, "There's nothing to _do_!" He flipped himself over with ease and headed towards the hatch which led to the gravity ring, "I'm going to go see what Gordon's doing."

As the youngest left, Virgil turned to Scott, a dark eyebrow raised, "He's right. There really isn't anything to do."

"What did you expect? It's not like John's having raging parties when we're not here."

Virgil sighed, "He must do _something_ to entertain himself!"

[I do believe John likes to take walks now and then.]

The sudden appearance of the camera, along with EOS's tinkling voice made the pair jump and was responded to with a glare from the eldest Tracy. Ever since EOS had come into being and locked John out of Thunderbird 5, Scott had a building resentment for the program. He wasn't as forgiving as his siblings and couldn't quite bring himself to be polite with something that had tried to murder his brother, no matter what John liked to say about her helpfulness or intelligence. Virgil sensed the hostility emanating from him and spoke to EOS with a smile plastered on his face.

"Walks? I don't know if you've noticed but we're in _space_. There's nowhere to walk _to._ "

"Plus, we want something to entertain us, not _kill_ us," Scott snapped.

[It is perfectly safe to walk around the perimeter of Thunderbird 5. I am told the view is one to remember.]

The brothers exchanged a thoughtful glance and finally Virgil shrugged.

"It _could_ be fun I suppose."

Scott nodded, "Alright," he frowned at the camera that represented EOS and pointed at it like he was chastising a disobedient child, "But we're telling John where we're going. I don't want _this_ to be the only one that knows we're out there."

With a roll of his eyes, Virgil tapped his sash and briefed John on what they were doing; as the redhead replied, Virgil could hear Alan in the background moaning about wanting to join them but a sharp 'no' from Scott shut him down before he could take it further. Scott knew how excited Alan got about being up in space and he also knew that the teenager could become reckless when excited, God only knew that Christmas was almost unbearable.

The pair donned their helmets and double checked their grappling wires before stepping out of the hatch and onto the outside of the Thunderbird. The blackness of space stretched out around them like an enormous blanket that seemed almost tangible; light from the surface of the blue planet below illuminated their way as Scott and Virgil hopped over the various curves and metal surfaces of the 'bird, careful not to leap too far and end up spiralling into the void.

"EOS was right," Virgil panted, slightly out of breath as he stepped towards his brother, "The view _is_ amazing!"

Scott couldn't argue with that. The Earth looked mesmerising, its blues and greens and oranges and browns all culminating into one giant masterpiece that shone and spun slowly like a great leviathan or a painting in an enormous black gallery. It took their breath away as they hooked themselves onto the body of Thunderbird 5 and allowed themselves to float there in the abyss of space, looking down on their home planet like it was an everyday occurrence. Virgil wondered if John had become complacent to it all by now and envied his brother for being able to absorb this sight every day.

"Pretty amazing, huh?" Virgil held out his hand, as if reaching to touch the surface of the planet.

"You got that right."

Almost thirty minutes passed and it was only when Scott's suit informed him that he had ten minutes of oxygen remaining that they made a move to go back inside. EOS opened the hatch and Virgil noted that his brother muttered a quiet 'thank you' as he passed through it. He may never _forgive_ the artificial intelligence but he may eventually _warm_ to her.

* * *

The rest of the day went by without a hitch; Scott and Virgil took some lessons from John on how he communicated with Earth and visa-versa, Alan retired to his room and played on his portable video game, which he found lodged in the bottom of his suitcase, and Gordon remained in the gravity ring until he was called out for dinner. Gathered around the large table in one of the adjoining rooms near the sleeping quarters, the brothers chatted and laughed like any other family eating together. It warmed Scott's heart to have them all in one place for once and he felt himself blush when Alan asked what he was smiling about. John had reserved some lasagne that Grandma Tracy had sent up not long ago, one of the few dishes she didn't completely butcher, and served it after turning on the artificial gravity in the room. He didn't want to deny Gordon of having at least _one_ enjoyable meal throughout the week. And the astronaut had to admit, as much as he liked his own company, eating with his family more often was something he could definitely get used to.

"Mmmm… That was great!" Alan leaned back in his chair, a huge grin on his lasagne-covered face as he took a moment to digest his meal.

"It's a wonder you actually tasted any of it, what with it being spread across your face." Virgil teased as he scraped the last smudges from his own plate.

"And your suit," Scott clicked his tongue as Alan inspected his now lasagne-accented suit.

Gordon laughed as the teenager tried to rub it off but only managed to spread it more across the blue fabric. He finally gave in and excused himself so that he could wash it off before he was teased any more. He was just pulling on his pyjamas in his and Virgil's room when said brother walked in and flicked on the artificial gravity, causing Alan to drop to the floor in a naked heap with his pyjama bottoms wrapped around his head. Virgil bit his lip to try and hide his smile but a snort of laughter managed to sneak out as he spoke.

"Oops, didn't know you were there, bro."

Alan yanked the pyjamas off his head and quickly pulled them on, glaring at Virgil the entire time. His brother looked at his pyjama-clad self; no matter how much he tried, Alan still managed to look like the baby of the family. His spindly frame and always slightly too big clothes betrayed the fact that he was probably the best pilot they had, maybe even the best pilot in the _world_. He would always be the little brother though, no doubt about that.

"Why're you putting your pyjamas on anyway?"

Alan shrugged, "My suit has lasagne on it and I can't be bothered to dig out the rest of my clothes."

"But what if there's an air failure thingymajig?" Virgil scrunched his face, never one for technical terms, "John said we should be ready for any situation whilst up here."

With a wave of his hand, Alan dismissed Virgil's worries, "Chill out will you! How many times has Thunderbird 5 had an oxygen leak?"

Virgil shrugged his wide shoulders, "Never."

"Exactly."

The smug look on the blonde's face was the last straw. Virgil dived across the room and tackled him to the ground, burrowing his knuckles in Alan's hair as the smaller sibling struggled and squawked. Somehow he managed to tap Virgil's communications on his sash, sending their little brawl through the airwaves and into the speakers of every other Tracy. Within seconds, Scott and John, followed slowly by a green-looking Gordon, stormed into the room fearing the worst. All they had heard were the pained screams of Alan and Scott had assumed he'd been sucked into space or encountered some sort of alien life. After the fact he realised that his presumptions were probably a _little_ exaggerated.

"And here I thought putting you two together was a safe bet," Scott rubbed the spot between his eyebrows and sighed.

Alan pointed to Virgil and managed to squeak out, "He started it!"

With an exasperated sigh, Scott flicked off the artificial gravity in the room, thankful when it separated the brawling pair without him having to lift so much as a finger. Gordon, however, was not as thankful as his full stomach lurched at the sensation of the gravity evaporating once more. He groaned and rested his head on Scott's shoulder; ever since he was small, if Gordon had ever become ill or was injured he would cling to Scott like a limpet. Throughout the years it had become less and less apparent but the need for some sort of contact with his eldest brother was still there and now and then it would resurface. Smother Hen didn't mind, after years of taking care of his family he was used to being the buoy in the ocean, the lake in the desert, and he ruffled Gordon's hair just like their father used to.

"Let's all get some rest," Scott put his hands on the back of Gordon's shoulders and started to push him out of the room, "We've got a busy week ahead of us."

Alan saluted sarcastically, winning him another noogie from Virgil, and proceeded to slip into bed as Virgil flicked the artificial gravity on once more. Gordon and Scott moved into their room where the squid fumbled awkwardly with the switch, desperate to feel the solid ground beneath his feet again. He didn't feel at all well and thought that he might even have a fever, although why the motion sickness would cause his temperature to rise was beyond him, space was just too weird. Not wanting Scott to go into full 'smother' mode, the aquanaut tried his best to ignore his body's warning signs and slipped under the covers of his new bed. Hopefully he'd feel better in the morning.

In the command module, John was taking the opportunity to spend a little time by himself; the day had been hectic and tiresome but he needed to wind down before he could sleep. Having his brothers with him was definitely better than he'd been expecting but he'd almost forgotten just how _loud_ they were and was thankful that they'd all finally gone to sleep. Up in space it was easy to lose track of time and the astronaut didn't like to rely on clocks to tell him when to sleep or wake up, he used his body clock to determine that. However, with the upheaval of the day and having to constantly be aware that there were other human beings on board, not just himself, John was pretty sure he'd be sleeping at a reasonable hour tonight.


End file.
